Erised
by itsonlyforeverxx
Summary: George cannot live without his other half.  Note: I tried uploading this about a month ago but had some technical issues so if it seems familiar, that's why


"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

George Weasley watched as the ink on the Marauder's Map appeared gracefully, spelling out the greeting from Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. Sitting in the dim lighting of the Three Broomsticks, he could barely make out the carefully etched passageways into the castle once he unfolded the map across his table. Careful not to spill any butterbeer, George lit the tip of his wand and scanned across the map. It had been years since he'd roamed the halls of Hogwarts, so naturally he'd forgotten some of the best ways in and out of the castle. He spotted his favorite passage-the hidden tunnel from Honeyduke's into the basement near the kitchens-and scrambled out of the Three Broomsticks (after leaving a hefty tip for Madame Rosmerta).

Once he'd reached the kitchens (and snagged a sandwich), George re-opened the map. He saw students wandering the corridors, sitting in classrooms, going about their lives as if nothing had ever been wrong. He didn't recognize any of the names, of course. Flipping pages hastily, he finally got to where he wanted-HEADMASTER KINGSLEY SHACKLEBOLT, in bold letters, sitting in his office. George ran up the staircase hoping it wouldn't shift to a different path midway.

After what seemed like an endless trek, he finally reached the headmaster's office. George laughed to himself, recalling all the times he and his twin had been sent here throughout their years at Hogwarts. He was much older now, and alone; his laughter stopped immediately as he bit his lip, lifting the large phoenix-shaped door knocker to announce his presence. "Come in," said a husky voice from in side the office. George smoothed his ginger hair, now with slight streaks of gray, and entered the office.

Kingsley was standing behind his desk in flowing blue robes; always a commanding and intimidating presence, the intensity in his eyes softened when he saw who his unexpected visitor was. "Ah, George! Welcome. Have a seat. What brings you?"

George walked in and sat down. "You know," he said, almost darkly.

Kingsley's expression changed from warm to concerned. "George..."

"Just one last time!"

"You said that the last three times."

George looked deeply into Kingsley's brown eyes, pleading. "Kingsley."

Kingsley rolled his eyes. "Fine. But you know good and well that this isn't healthy for you." He walked to the door, followed immediately by George; they walked through countless twisting hallways, until finally they reached the Room of Requirement.

"What you need is in here," Kingsley said. "But do be careful not to stay too long. It's not good to be sucked back into that world."

"I know. I just...I need it. I'm not complete without it." They nodded at each other, and George paced three times in front of the blank wall before him.

_I need to see my twin again. I need to see my twin again. I need to see my twin again._

Suddenly a door, large and ornately carved, sprung up before him. George took a deep breath as he entered. Closing the door, he surveyed the room; all it contained was a large mirror. "The Mirror of Erised," he whispered to himself, smiling. He walked briskly over to it and stood, waiting. Beside him in the mirror appeared a seventeen-year old version of himself, with both ears and a wicked grin.

"Hey there, Fred," George whispered, smiling.

Fred Weasley's reflection waved, smiling ear to ear.

"Mum and Dad are doing just fine. Bill's still married to Fleur...they've got 2 kids now, Victoire and Dominique. Vic's 8 and Dom's about...4." Fred nodded excitedly. "Charlie's still up in Romania with the dragons. He's got a girlfriend named Jasmine who's pretty fit. I don't know how serious they are though. As for Percy...he just got engaged to a Ministry worker named Audrey something-or-other. Leave it to him to keep it in the Ministry, eh?" Fred's reflection silently laughed. "She's quite nice, though. I like her a lot. Think she'll be a great addition to the family." Fred nodded in approval, agreeing with his twin.

"And that brings us to...me, right? Well, I'm obviously alright. Still not quite okay after...after everything." Fred nodded sadly. "I miss you, brother. Everyone does. Nobody's been the same, at all. But, uh...let's try to be happier, eh? The joke shop's doing great business!" Fred's expression changed; he quickly became quite excited at the news. "Yeah, the schoolkids all want some of Weasley's products before they go back to classes. We've been selling out of things like mad. Ron's helping me out a lot too. Speaking of Ron...he's married now, to Hermione." Fred nodded knowingly. "Yeah, yeah, we all knew even before they did. So obvious, both of 'em. She's pregnant now too!" Fred's eyes widened as his jaw dropped, completely shocked.

"Yeah! That was my reaction too! Speaking of babies, Ginny just had one...oh, she's married to Harry, of course," George said. Fred nodded knowingly again. "He's darling. James Sirius, they're calling him. Big baby too-8 pounds, 6 ounces. Looks a lot like his daddy." Fred grinned ear to ear. "Here, I've actually got a photo!" George pulled a picture of baby James out of his pocket and showed it to the reflection of Fred, who cooed over it and looked up in awe at his twin.

George continued sitting there in front of the mirror for probably another hour, talking about memories and his lack of ear and jokes, all while only getting nods and facial expressions from the eternally silent Fred. He only wished he could hear his voice again. George knew, however, that this was impossible; not only that, but it would probably hurt him worse to hear his twin speak, only to lose it again.

Time flew by, and it grew dark outside. "Well...Fred...I hate to, but I have to go." Fred nodded solemnly. He held up a single finger, asking George to wait, and walked out of frame. George stoof there, wondering what his brother was planning. Fred reappeared with a piece of blank parchment and a quill, quickly and messily scrawling the words "I LOVE YOU" onto it, and holding it up so George could see.

"I love you too, brother." George turned to exit, looking over his shoulder one last time as Fred's waving reflection disappeared into nothingness.


End file.
